Osorio heads home winner as Toronto FC takes 2-0 lead

Jonathan Osorio of Brampton, Ontario has given Toronto FC an edge in their 2018 CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 series. The Canadian midfielder scored the opening goal of an away 2:0 victory over Colorado Rapids in the Tuesday 20 February opener in Commerce City, CO.

The return leg of the series is scheduled for Tuesday 27 February at BMO Field in Toronto, with live coverage to be broadcast on TSN. The team with the most goals scored over two legs will advance to the quarter-final phase. After the Osorio opening goal in the 55th minute, Sebastian Giovinco made it 2-0 for Toronto FC in the 73rd minute.

In the opening match, Jonathan Osorio played the full 90 minutes while Jordan Hamilton featured in the last minute as a substitute. Both Canadians were making their CONCACAF Champions League debut. Canadian teammates Jay Chapman and Ashtone Morgan dressed but did not feature while Tosaint Ricketts was unavailable through injury. Rookie Liam Fraser did not dress.

Toronto FC earned Canada’s sole spot in 2018 CONCACF Champions League by defeating Montréal Impact in the 2017 Canadian Championship. It marked Toronto's sixth Canadian title and fifth qualification to CONCACAF Champions League. Since the debut of both competitions in 2008, three Canadian winners have reached the Quarter-final stage or further in CONCACAF Champions League: Toronto FC once (Semi-finals in 2011-12), Montréal twice (Quarter-finals in 2008-09 and Grand Final in 2014-15), and Vancouver Whitecaps FC once (Semi-finals in 2016-17).

From 16 finalists in 2018 CONCACAF Champions League, only the CONCACAF winner will advance to the FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates from 12 to 22 December.